Ivor Francis was born in Uckfield, England[1] and emigrated to South Australia on the Moreton Bay in 1924 as a Barwell scheme "apprentice farm boy",[2] and went to work at Oolooloo station at Elliston on Eyre Peninsula.
He joined the Adelaide Teachers College in 1925 and on qualifying started teaching at Jamestown in 1929, then Prospect, South Australia from 1930.
[4] From 1944 to 1947 he taught art subjects at Adelaide Technical High School, then from 1948 to 1968 he worked for the ABC Radio as supervisor of Education programmes.
[5] He was an inaugural committee member of South Australian branch of the Contemporary Art Society being promoted by Max Harris, and in 1944 became chairman.
[8] He married Ethel Saunders of Jamestown on 21 January 1931;[9] they lived at 5 Labrina Avenue, Prospect until around 1950, when they moved to a home in Picadilly Road, Crafers, where he died.